Changing Your Hair Color? Stop, Think, & Speak To A Professional

Thinking of changing your hair color? My advice? Stop and think it through. Life changes — whether we're talking change of seasons, change of boyfriend, or just boredom — often spark an inner desire to go from a bright blonde to a sophisticated brunette, or a mousy brown to a fiery red head, like hair color holds the key to a new identity and its accompanying adventures.

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If only it were that simple.

Last week, I decided I needed to change my buttery blonde to something darker, richer, to suit the season and new makeup trends. I tried a new colorist and fast-forward three hours and I'm an ashy brunette. I immediately screamed, "Help!" With no time to waste, Adrian Wallace, a colorist at the Rita Hazan Salon, could squeeze me in and I was en route to midtown in minutes. Gazing out from the back of the cab, it seemed like every woman on the street was a blonde bombshell with long, flowing, sun-kissed locks. I'd gone so far in the other direction, was it even reversible?

Luckily, yes.

"Usually when going from light to dark, the color is too ashy or muted. It's tricky because the hair is too porous which causes it to grab the color in a funny way. You have to take careful steps to avoid that," Wallace explained. It's not any easier the other way around either, "When going from dark to light, often there is too much of a red undertone. This happens if you try too aggressively to make it light in one session."

Blonde to red? "You can end up with pink hair if you don't do this gradually," said Wallace.

In just 45 minutes I was a lovely golden blonde with perfectly placed highlights. This subtle change was all I needed to feel satisfied, but take this experience as a warning: Dramatic changes in color might feel rebellious and refreshing, but the aftermath is the opposite.

In my case, a simple, subtle change might would've done the trick. And if you're stuck on which (natural) color will suit you best, rely on your colorist. "Almost all the time, warm, rich and vibrant colors work the best," suggests Wallace.

Of course, if you're determined to go crazy, Wallace insists you do so "gradually — and consult your colorist!"